Convection and Dynamo in the Earth's Fluid Core

在现代大规模并行计算机上构建具有足够地球物理真实感的地球发电机数值模型具有重要的现实意义和科学意义。在国家地球物理研究中心的资助下(NER/O/S/2001/01262,2003年1月10日至2007年12月26日)，我们朝着开发新一代EBE(逐个单元)有限元地球发电机程序迈出了重要的一步，该程序具有两个主要的显著优点：它特别适合于实现近线性可伸缩性的现代大规模并行计算机，并且能够结合地球物理现实，如非球面几何和局部变化，具有高度的灵活性。这项申请要求为埃克塞特的一个PDRA申请资金，以继续/扩展我们现有的关于渐近对流研究和地球发电机建模的生产性研究，并促进我们对地球液核中非磁性非线性对流的时空结构、对流驱动的地球发电机在导电流体核中运行的时空结构以及地球液核发出的磁通量模式如何受到电非均匀下地幔的影响的理解。

Constructing numerical geodynamo models with sufficient geophysical realism on modern massively parallel computers is of both practical and scientific importance. Supported by a NERC grant (NER/O/S/2001/01262, running 01/10/2003 to 26/12/2007), we have taken a major step towards the development of a new generation, EBE (element-by-element) finite element geodynamo code that has two main significant advantages: it is particularly suitable for modern massively parallel computers achieving nearly linear scalability and it is highly flexible to be capable of incorporating geophysical realism such as non-spherical geometry and local variations. This application requests funding for one PDRA at Exeter to continue/extend our existing productive research on the asymptotic convection study and geodynamo modeling and to advance our understanding of the spatial and temporal structure of non-magnetic nonlinear convection in the Earth's liquid core and of how the convection-driven geodynamo operating in an electrically conducting fluid core and the pattern of magnetic flux emanating from the Earth's liquid core are affected by an electrically heterogeneous lower mantle.